Lightweight metal detectors?

Hi everyone,

I've just joined the forum and would like to know which second hand detector you would recommend for a petite woman. I'd like to detect for gold in Ballarat &/or Bendigo, VIC area and in an area around Crookwell (thereabouts) and eventually Bathurst, NSW. I would like a detector that could find small nuggets at least 1-2ft under ground.
I'll also want to use it on rural properties for relics and coins, in parks and on the beach in dry sand. I plan on using headphones.

My main interest would be gold nuggets, then secondly relics and coins.

But my budget has to be under $850. Am I asking too much? Should I just stick with my old 1980 Dick Smith "very basic" detector?

Hi Karen, welcome. You could get a Minelab Exterra 750 for that price--reasonable detector for the price.
Jaros

Jaros means this one, Karen: http://www.minelab.com/aus/products/adventure-detectors/x-terra-705-gold-pack

I love my 705, great for coins, relics, has a prospecting mode to attack the goldfields..... but I doubt it could detect a small nugget 1-2ft deep. Somebody with more gold detecting knowledge than me, will chime in

G'day and welcome to PA,

2 foot might be a bit much in that price range But the 705 will do good things at the Beach with a big coil and it will be pretty Good around the Homesteads Too, as well as prospecting if the ground is not too wild,

John

No matter what you do , ditch the Dick Smith one . It will only discorage you from not finding much if anything at all.
If you arent already aware but detectors generally are made for different uses. Its very difficult to get one machine to do everything altho a few may come close but will not fit in that price range.
Below is a link to a detector that wont go that deep compared to expensive machines , but they are ok on shallower gold , they are very light weight and have auto ground balance and discrimination to cancel out junk. Also it has analogue settings , and not a digital meter which I seem to think confuse new operators. Ive seen people at Tuena using them and not digging things because they are to focused on what the meter is trying to tell them the target is.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vi 43&alt=web

info about the detector. www.tesoro.com/product/detectors/lobost/index.html

PS . welcome to PA

Hate to bring some reality into detector choices Karen, but for under $850 there's nothing out there that will pick up small nuggets between 1and 2 feet under ground. Doing well to get small nuggets at that depth with the top of the range detectors.

Can I suggest you have a read of the Whites Detectors in the Detecting Section and consider a second hand SPP, TDI,or GMT. All are extremely light and capable on the gold fields and would suit a petite frame very well.

Wal.

Hello Karen ,

In your price range there is no detector that will signal on small nuggets ( 1gram is a small nugget ) at one foot deep .
But there is a unit that can find that size gold at shallower depths & sells under your price limit .

Highly mineralised ground will always be a problem with VLF detectors .

Tesoro Vaquero , Ground balance it a bit negative then switch over to lowest Dis to super tune it .
Use the far left frequency toggle .
Check the net for these instructions . Weight is only about a kilo .

http://www.tesoro.com/product/detectors/vaquero/vaquero.html

Bidding starting @ $1200:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/White-TD...nelab-buyer-/201398526962?hash=item2ee449a3f2

Thanks for the great info guys, and the honesty. Appreciate it. And also thanks for the links.

Having trouble about the ground conditions I'll be using it in as I don't quite understand what hot ground is or how you can tell if it is highly mineralised.

Yes, still have a lot to learn. I'm sure I'll find a description on the forum somewhere.

GaryO you're right about my basic detector discouraging me. It did in the end. Didn't find any gold with it but was really excited and surprised when it signalled on an

old early 1900's tractor badge. Had to dig down quite a long way and I'm still amazed with what I'd describe as a toy detector did actually find it.

It was probably over a foot under the ground. That was probably the most exciting thing I found with it.

Have just heard my brother has one in his garage that he's not using, so I'm pretty happy that I'll get to try one out to see if the novelty wears off before I buy one.

The Ex-terra 705 sounds like it might be what I'm after though. Looks good and sounds like a lot of you guys have had experience with one.

If you hear of one going for a reasonable price, do let me know.

Thanks again!

anaconda have them for 660ish new, on sale prob every month or so, which is secondhand price usually, watch their website.

Thanks rocketaroo. Will do.

As a small girl myself I'd say the X-Terra 705 works a treat. I bought the dual pack for both gold and coin/beach functions.It honestly isn't too heavy which is good. I'd say about 1-1.5kg so nothing too heavy for the arms which is good. Plus for the amount I'd paid I find it to be very easy to use for the price and have had plenty of fun with it so far.

Plus to be honest I like the choices of being both gold as well as being able to do some coin/relic hunting as well. Not too sure on the depth for gold hunting but for AA batteries it picks up coins at 30cm easily. (I'd found a 50cent coin a good 30cm down in the dirt) so coin wise it works alright.

And you can always buy a better detector with all the money you find

Thanks for the info and advice Avenged & Brian.

Still looking at options.

Also look at a Tesoro lobo though they are vlf they will find gold and the control box can be hip mounted leaving a very light shaft and coil
Minelab are still the best for gold only but out of your price range for a good one and the whites too are a good machine

My CTX 3030 , at only five months old , is not working out.
Don't get me wrong the machine is great and picks up coins ect very deep BUT --- a reoccurrence of a long forgotten arm injury means I don't use it anywhere as much as I would like and when I do its for around an hour & that's alternating between arms, Just a little to heavy for me to enjoy.
SO I'm looking for something very light weight so I can get out more , it will be a vlf for coins ect but would like the opportunity to chance small nuggets if the chance comes along.
So the search and questions begin
Ramjet ? XP DEUS ?
Macro gold racer ?

If your used to the results that a CTX gives, then you should look at the deus......its light as a feather as well. Cant comment about gold, but there is a new coil coming for the deus, intended for prospecting.

I agree. They don't come any lighter than the XP and it is considered by many as almost on par with a CTX in its features and detecting ability.Since I injured my right right arm I have taken to swinging the Deus left handed and can do this all day.

is it possible to add a bungy or sling on the ctx to counter balance to weight?, not that it really helps with the chasing nuggets part or are they good on gold? the garret AT gold is pretty light but i am not sure how they would stack up against either the deus or macro, just a thought